Local Black History
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Newest Lucy book 1/8/07 07:10 Page 1 Local Black History A beginning in Devon by Lucy MacKeith Published by the Archives and Museum of Black Heritage A partnership project between Black Cultural Archives and Middlesex University Newest Lucy book 1/8/07 07:10 Page 2 This booklet is dedicated to the memory of Len Garrison 1943-20031 who worked to promote the recording of black history in Britain It is time we let the world know we are proud of our heritage and we stand as living monuments For those who are afraid of who they must be are but slaves in a trance2 Acknowledgements Basil Davidson, Sylvia Collicott and Marika Sherwood Every effort has been made to obtain permission for have inspired me by their work. reproduction of pictures. The author and publisher thank those who have given their permission. I would like to thank Zena Burland, John Ellis and ‘Jane’ for their contributions to the text; Kathy Chater Designer Eva Searle; editor Bill MacKeith; and Mike Sampson for sharing their Devon data bases. photographer John Sealey; proof reader Sarah Bunker; researcher Mike Turnbull; word processing Dawn For other help I would like to thank: John Allan, Sherry Barraball. Doyal, Des Gander, Frank Gent, Todd Gray, Hazel Harvey, Ronald Impey, Vicky Jay, Julia Kumik, David Killingray, Jo © Lucy MacKeith, 2003; except ‘Black soldiers and Loosemore, John McEwan, Stephen and Jo MacKeith, Devon’, © John D. Ellis, 2003; ‘My father’, © Zena Sam Magne, Lynn Medlock, Jo and Harold Miller, Chrissie Burland, 2003. Morris, Louisa Parker, Den Perrin, Maggie Pipe, Len Pole, Liz Prince, Judith Proud, Joan Rendell, Mary-Rose Rogers, Published by Archives and Museum of Black Heritage, Brana Thorn, Alice Tomic, Janette Wallen, Angela Welch 378 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8LF. and staff at the Devon Record Office, North Devon Record Office, Plymouth and West Devon Record Office Printed by Brightsea Press, Exeter, Devon. and the West Country Studies Library. And my fellow communards where I live, who have carried on with the work while I got lost in the past. The author and publisher thank Devon County Council, Front cover: Joe Green, Black Footman for Many Years the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary and the Devon to Mrs Quicke, late eighteenth century, painting formerly Council of Churches for their sponsorship. ascribed to Sir Joshua Reynolds. (See page 19.) Newest Lucy book 1/8/07 07:10 Page 3 Contents Foreword by Sam Walker, Director, AMBH 2 Olaudah Equiano 26 Why black history in Devon? 3 Moretonhampstead 28 Black Romans in Devon? 3 Black soldiers and Devon by John D. Ellis 31 Saint Maurice 4 My Father by Zena Burland 33 Devon’s connection with the slave trade Jane, a black Devonian 36 and slavery 5 How to take the study of black history Gravestones illustrating the links between forward 37 Devon and black history 13 Conclusion – writing black history of the Black people and the sea; The London 16 past and today 39 The Swete family in Modbury 17 Resources for learning 41 Joe Green 19 Notes for educators in schools, museums Devon and the abolition of the slave trade 20 and libraries 42 Compensation for slavery? 21 Notes on the text 43 How to remember slavery and the slave Picture sources and acknowledgements 46 trade? 21 Photo credits 46 Who is this man? 23 Index 47 Mapping the black presence in Devon 24 A call for further research 49 Note: An earlier version of the text of this booklet with more extensive notes is at www.blackhistoryindevon.org.uk 1 Newest Lucy book 1/8/07 07:10 Page 4 Foreword Until recently, few institutions have shown • to support the idea of a Black British interest in the history, culture and heritage of Heritage. black Britons. Indeed, during the 1980s when black people were campaigning for recognition Throughout Britain, the history of the Atlantic and awareness of the contribution they have slave trade is generally known, but the history of made to the development of Britain, they were black people before and after slavery is vilified, ridiculed and marginalised. unknown. In some parts of the country, the idea that slavery was part of the commerce in their Attempts to introduce multi-cultural education region, and that the benefits of that trade are which would reflect the multi-ethnic and multi- still visible is not acknowledged. cultural nature of society failed through lack of resources, rigorous research and access to This booklet will, I hope, begin to throw some information. light on the presence of black people in areas which at one time were considered to be mono- In the 1980s, Black Cultural Archives was ethnic. established and was among the leading organisations to collect, document and I hope this booklet will provide useful hints and disseminate the history and the role black people methodologies for researching the black presence played in the development of Britain. The idea of in all areas and thus provide further evidence of collecting this information emanated from three the multi-ethnic/multi-cultural nature of our broad objectives namely: society. • to challenge the stereotypical images on Sam Walker which racist notions are based; Project Director • to be a source of pride for the black Archives and Museum of Black Heritage (AMBH) community whose history and heritage they reflect; and 2 Newest Lucy book 1/8/07 07:10 Page 5 Why black history in Devon? This booklet about black1 history in Devonshire is Black history is not only for black people. It is short because the work is only just beginning, not only to be found in the history of big cities not because there is no evidence to uncover. and ports. Looking at black history in Devon, and similar parts of Britain, helps us to understand The study of local history shifts the focus away the links between local, national and world from the stories of kings, queens and Great history.2 People to looking at the lives of ordinary people. Interest in finding out about the lives of black The study of a few exceptional individuals is not people in history has grown in recent years and the beginning and end of black history. There are Black History Month is celebrated each October stories about black people to be discovered in all in Britain. walks of life and in all areas.3 When we hear stories of the past it helps to I hope to show that there is more to discover and know who is telling the story. All stories, that we need this information to get a balanced including ‘history’, are told from a particular point view of our country, and our country’s past. The of view. In today’s climate of equal opportunities uncovering of facts can alter our view of history. some people say that race ‘makes no difference’. People can feel uncomfortable when the issue of This is the ‘missing part of our history’.4 race is raised. Black Romans in Devon? But the ‘colour-blind’ approach hides the assumption that white is the norm, black the One local historian5 says that there is no exception. To move towards a more accurate, evidence to show whether Africans were among inclusive view of history, we need to separate out the Romans who came to Devon. A Libya-born the different elements which have been ignored emperor and other Africans were among the previously. The evidence is available. The history Roman soldiers, slaves and civilians in Britain. waits to be written. Some may have been in Devon.6 3 Newest Lucy book 1/8/07 07:10 Page 6 Saint Maurice There is a carving of a black saint in the parish church in Uffculme in mid Devon. The carving is one of a number of old panels, which have been described as medieval or sixteenth-century bench ends or domestic panelling, which have been mounted in a modern side altar. Who is this saint? Why is his image here? What was his part in our history? The sixth Christian Crusade in the early thirteenth century, led by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, had as its sole allies North Africans who were part of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Does this statue celebrate these African Christian allies in the same way that, Basil Davidson believes, the statue of St Maurice in the thirteenth-century cathedral in Magdeburg does?7 Whoever he is, the statue is of a black saint who was worth making a carving of. There is a church of St Maurice at Plympton St Maurice just outside Plymouth, which is also known as St Thomas of Canterbury. It has no image of St Maurice. Relief carving of a black saint (Saint Maurice?) at Uffculme parish church. 4 Newest Lucy book 1/8/07 07:10 Page 7 Devon’s connection with the slave trade and slavery Devon is a county with coastlines to the north and south. In the past the ports on Devon’s coastline played a more important part in travel locally and beyond. Their role today as holiday resorts hides their past importance as centres of trade. We can find evidence which shows Devon’s world-wide influence and particularly rich connections with people of African origins. Devonians took their familiar names with them as they explored and settled the world. There are at least forty Plymouths in the world today. Sometimes black people were given the names of places.8 The slave trade and slavery are not the only parts of Devon’s history where we can find black Slave chains from West Africa, now in the Royal Albert people.